Are ya ready, kids? Turns out the Spongebob Squarepants x Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drops are coming a lot sooner than expected. In fact, according to new information revealed today, they’ll actually be arriving in exactly two weeks. This means they’ll be launching smack-dab in the middle of Tarkir: Dragonstorm preview season. That’s bad news for our draconic friends because the Spongebob Secret Lair drops are intriguing concoctions, packed with iconic characters and, more surprisingly, famous memes.
The use of Spongebob memes in these Secret Lairs was something players talked about jokingly when they were first announced. For these players, it appears that their memes are dreams no longer. While the card selection here leaves something to be desired, the choice of artwork is impeccable. Long-time Spongebob fans will find little to complain about here.
Secret Lair × SpongeBob SquarePants: Internet Sensation
The Spongebob Secret Lair drops were officially announced via a Collider article earlier today. There will be three drops in total. Legends of Bikini Bottom recasts the characters from the show as legendary creatures from across Magic: The Gathering history. Internet Sensation, the first one we’ll be looking at today, takes instant and sorceries and reimagines them as iconic Spongebob memes.
Most notable among these, both art-wise and value-wise, is Counterspell. This uses the legendary ‘Mocking Spongebob’ meme for its art, reimagined by Tyler Walpole. It’s not hard to imagine experiencing higher-than-average levels of salt after having your spell countered by this monstrosity, Value-wise Counterspell goes for about $2 for a regular copy, but this is far from regular. Special Counterspell variants, such as the one from the Far Out, Man Secret Lair, go for as much as $15.
There’s a pretty big drop-off after Counterspell. Force of Despair is a $5 card, which is respectable at a baseline. Its Secret Lair variant is actually cheaper at $2.30, likely due to how difficult it is to read. This version uses the legendary ‘Squidward looking out the window’ meme for its art, which will likely push it above $5. Possibly not by much, mind you, since Force of Despair isn’t exactly a heavily played card, unlike Counterspell.
Next up we have Night’s Whisper, which is only a $1 card normally. It does have a Secret Lair variant sitting at around $6, so this ‘Sleeping Squidward’ version should be worth at least that much. Night’s Whisper is a very solid black draw spell in Commander, so there’s plenty of play here.
Spongebob Memes In Secret Lair Form
Rounding out the Internet Sensation Secret Lair drop we have a couple of underwhelming cards with great Spongebob memes on them. Daze is the best of these, repurposing the classic ‘Confused Mr. Krabs’ meme to great effect. It’s a very playable card in multiple formats, but financially it’s only around $2 right now. It’s worth noting that there aren’t really any special variants of Daze outside of the Amonkhet Invocations printing, which currently goes for over $200. Because of this, it’s hard to predict where this new take will end up.
Last and probably least, we have Inevitable Betrayal. This is a card that sees pretty much no play outside of Modern Living End decks, which are fairly niche at the moment. It’s also a card with no real special variants currently, with copies going for around $0.50. This fun new version, featuring the ‘Evil Patrick’ meme for its art, could certainly buck that trend. Not in a huge way, mind you; I still expect this to be the weakest card in the drop financially.
All in all, Internet Sensation is a bit of a mixed bag. Based on the low-end pricing on the cards included, the value here is only about $11. For the $30 Secret Lair price tag, that’s not super-appealing. On the other hand, these versions have the potential to go the way of the Hatsune Miku cards and command a serious premium for their artwork alone. The title is apt here: all of the memes it uses are very popular and widely used, which could mean demand for this drop will be through the roof. While it may seem silly to compare this Lair to last year’s Marvel drops, I could see this selling out similarly quickly.
Lands Under The Sea
But wait, there’s more! On top of Internet Sensation and Legends of Bikini Bottom, there’s one more Spongebob Squarepants Secret Lair to check out. This is Lands Under the Sea, a series of five full-art basic lands featuring famous vistas from the show. While you won’t find any Spongebob memes here, this Secret Lair drop likely offers more in the way of value.
All five lands show Spongebob’s faithful snail Gary at a different location. You’ve got icons like the Bikini Bottom sign itself and Jellyfish Fields, as well as deeper cuts like the Kelp Forest and Mt. Bikini Bottom. The Swamp here is the best of the bunch as far as I’m concerned; representing black mana with the terrifying Rock Bottom was an inspired choice.
Value-wise, there’s a ton of potential here. Secret Lair full-art lands from the past often sell for decent amounts, with some going for over $20 apiece. On the other hand, some only get a minor markup of around $3. It’s impossible to predict which side these new Spongebob lands will fall on, but I’d expect it to be on the higher end. It’s a very popular show, and the art here is excellent across the board.
All in all, these new Spongebob Secret Lair drops are a slam-dunk. The use of memes might seem immersion-breaking at first, but it also speaks to a deep understanding of the show’s fanbase and what resonates with them. The lands, too, with their range of references, are sure to bring a smile to the faces of fans. Foil and nonfoil versions of these two drops, as well as Legends of Bikini Bottom, will go on sale at 9 AM PT on Monday, March 24th for $39.99 and $29.99, respectively.
